activity:

fortune cookie

stretch your thinking with playful roles

objective:

use role-play and imaginative thinking to explore each other’s real questions with empathy and fresh perspectives.

instructions:

  1. ask each participant to write down a real question they’re genuinely curious about. it can be deep, silly, or strange. here are some examples:
    • why do we dream?
    • what would the moon taste like?
    • how do we know we’re not in someone else’s story?
  2. fold the paper like a fortune cookie and swap with a partner.
  3. each person opens their “cookie” and chooses a role to respond from:
    1. option 1 (playful): a dream interpreter, an alien researcher, a talking animal
    2. option 2 (semi-serious): a teacher, a policymaker, an engineer, a philosopher
  4. respond to your partner’s question from that role—playful, poetic, or professional is welcome.
  5. take turns and invite light discussion about how the perspective shaped the answer.

debrief:

reflect on what it felt like to stretch your mindset. what new possibilities emerged?

optional:

share one favorite response or unexpected insight with the full group.

Activity Length:
Format:
  • in-person
  • online
  • Pairs
  • small groups
Activity Type:
  • Playful reflections
Skills Developed:
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Creative Thinking
  • Curiosity
  • Generating Diverse Ideas
  • Openness
  • Perspective Taking & Empathic Concern
  • Self-Directed Learning